Primary 5 Agricultural Science – Third Term Lesson Notes
Week 4: Rearing of Chicken, Rabbit, or Snail
Lesson Information
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Subject: Agricultural Science
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Class: Primary 5
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Term: Third Term
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Week: 4
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Topic: Rearing of Chicken, Rabbit, or Snail
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Sub-topic: Housing, Feeding, and Care for Chickens, Rabbits, and Snails
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Duration: 40 minutes
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Age: 9–11 years
Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:
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Identify tools and materials used for rearing chickens, rabbits, and snails.
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Construct a medium-sized cage, hutch, or pen for these animals.
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Raise chickens, rabbits, or snails at school or at home.
Keywords
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Poultry
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Hutch
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Pen
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Snailery
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Feeder
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Brooder
Set Induction (Funny Classroom Interaction)
Teacher: “Who likes eating chicken?”
Pupils (shouting): “Me! Me! Me!”
Teacher: “Who has eaten rabbit meat before?”
Tunde: “No, but I have seen it in cartoons!”
Teacher: “What about snails? Who loves eating snails?”
Aisha: “Ewww, they are slimy!”
Emeka: “No, ma! They look like slow-moving jelly!”
Teacher: “Well, today, we are going to learn how to rear them. Who’s ready to become a farmer?”
Pupils: “Yes!!!”
Entry Behaviour
Pupils have seen chickens, rabbits, or snails before and may have eaten their meat.
Learning Resources and Materials
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Charts showing different farm animals
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Pictures of chicken coops, rabbit hutches, and snail pens
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Live or toy chickens, rabbits, and snails
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Simple tools like wood, netting, bowls, and feeders
Building Background Knowledge
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Ask pupils if they have seen a chicken coop, rabbit hutch, or snailery before.
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Discuss where people keep these animals at home or in farms.
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Connect their knowledge to today’s lesson.
Embedded Core Skills
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Observation
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Communication
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Critical thinking
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Creativity (designing and constructing cages)
Instructional Materials
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Charts of different farm animals and their housing
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Toy or real-life chicken, rabbit, and snail
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Feeder, drinker, and simple cages
Lesson Content
1. Tools and Materials for Rearing Chickens, Rabbits, and Snails
To rear any animal, you need the right materials. Here are some examples:
Chicken (Poultry) Farming
✅ Housing: Wooden or metal coop, wire mesh, perches
✅ Feeding tools: Feeder, drinker
✅ Other tools: Incubator (for hatching eggs), nesting box
Rabbit Farming
✅ Housing: Wooden or metal hutch with a wire mesh front
✅ Feeding tools: Small feeding trough, water container
✅ Other tools: Brushes for cleaning, wooden nesting box
Snail Farming
✅ Housing: Snailery made of old tires, wooden boxes, or a well-ventilated cage
✅ Feeding tools: Shallow feeding plates
✅ Other tools: Moist soil, shade cover
2. Constructing a Medium-Sized Cage, Hutch, or Snailery
Step 1: Choose a material (wood, metal, or wire mesh).
Step 2: Measure and cut the materials to size.
Step 3: Assemble the parts to form a coop, hutch, or snailery.
Step 4: Place straw, dry leaves, or soft bedding for comfort.
Step 5: Make sure there is good ventilation and protection from rain.
3. Raising Chickens, Rabbits, and Snails
A. How to Raise Chickens
1️⃣ Provide clean water and nutritious food daily.
2️⃣ Keep them in a safe and dry coop.
3️⃣ Give them vaccinations to prevent diseases.
Funny Pupil Reaction:
Fatima: “Do chickens take medicine like us?”
Teacher: “Yes! But they don’t swallow tablets like humans. They take vaccines in their water.”
Pupils: “Woooow!”
B. How to Raise Rabbits
1️⃣ Feed them with grass, vegetables, and pellets.
2️⃣ Keep them in a clean hutch with space to move.
3️⃣ Protect them from predators like dogs and snakes.
Funny Pupil Reaction:
Tunde: “Ma, if I give my rabbit rice, will it eat it?”
Teacher: “No! Rabbits don’t eat cooked food. They love fresh grass and carrots.”
Tunde: “Aww, no jollof rice for rabbits?”
C. How to Raise Snails
1️⃣ Keep them in a moist environment with enough shade.
2️⃣ Feed them with fruits, leaves, and calcium sources.
3️⃣ Check regularly for sick snails and remove them.
Funny Pupil Reaction:
Aisha: “Ma, can I race my snails with my friends?”
Teacher: “Yes, but don’t expect them to be as fast as a car!”
Class Activity (FAQ for Discussion)
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What tools do farmers use to raise chickens?
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Why do rabbits need a special hutch?
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What do snails eat?
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How do farmers protect animals from getting sick?
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What happens if a chicken does not get food and water?
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Why do we rear farm animals?
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How can we build a simple animal house at home?
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What is the difference between a hutch and a coop?
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How do snails help the environment?
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Can chickens and rabbits stay in the same house?
Possible Student Responses:
✅ Musa: “Farmers use feeders, drinkers, and cages for chickens.”
✅ Zainab: “Rabbits need a hutch so they don’t run away.”
✅ Chisom: “Snails eat fruits, vegetables, and soft leaves.”
✅ David: “Farmers keep animal houses clean to stop diseases.”
Assessment & Evaluation
Fill in the blanks:
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A place where chickens are kept is called a ___.
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Rabbits should be kept in a ___.
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Snails need a ___ environment to survive.
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Farmers use a ___ to feed chickens.
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We raise farm animals for ___ and ___.
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___ and ___ are examples of animals that can be reared at home.
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Chickens eat ___ and ___.
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The house for snails is called a ___.
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Rabbits should be protected from ___ and ___.
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A chicken house should have enough ___ and ___.
Conclusion
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Chickens, rabbits, and snails need good housing, food, and care to grow well.
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Farmers use different tools to make animal rearing easy.
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We can rear these animals at school or at home for food and money.
Teacher’s Closing Words:
“Now, who wants to start a mini farm at home?”
Pupils: “Me! Me! Me!”
Let’s quickly discuss the possible solutions to the evaluation questions above and you tell me what you think the answer would be.
Please don’t be shy and fell free as I call your names
1. What tools do farmers use to raise chickens?
Teacher: “What do you think farmers use to take care of their chickens?”
Musa: “They use spoons to feed them, ma!”
Teacher (laughing): “Musa, chickens don’t eat like humans. Farmers use feeders and drinkers, which look like small bowls made for birds.”
Zainab: “I saw my uncle using a basket to carry his chickens. Does that count as a tool?”
Teacher: “Good thinking! While baskets are used to carry chickens, they are not a feeding tool. Feeders, drinkers, and brooders are the real tools farmers use.”
2. Why do rabbits need a special hutch?
Teacher: “Why can’t rabbits live in the same house as chickens?”
Tunde: “Because they will get jealous of each other’s food!”
Teacher (smiling): “Not really, Tunde. Rabbits need a separate hutch because they like to stay dry, warm, and safe from predators like cats and dogs.”
Chisom: “Ohhh! Like a bedroom for rabbits?”
Teacher: “Exactly! It’s their little home, just like you have your own room.”
3. What do snails eat?
Teacher: “Who knows what snails eat?”
Aisha: “I think they eat sugar because they are slimy!”
Teacher (laughing): “No, Aisha, snails don’t eat sugar. They love fresh leaves, fruits, and soft vegetables.”
Emeka: “So, if I give my snail jollof rice, it will eat?”
Teacher: “No, snails don’t eat cooked food. But they do like things like pawpaw leaves and cucumber.”
4. How do farmers protect animals from getting sick?
Teacher: “What do we do when we don’t want to get sick?”
Pupils: “We wash our hands, eat well, and take medicine!”
Teacher: “Great! Farmers do something similar. They give animals clean food, water, and vaccinations.”
Fatima: “Do chickens take paracetamol?”
Teacher: “Not exactly. They take vaccines and special medicine made just for them.”
5. What happens if a chicken does not get food and water?
Teacher: “What happens if you don’t eat for two days?”
Daniel: “I will cry and beg my mum for food!”
Teacher: “Exactly! Chickens also get weak, sick, or even die if they don’t eat and drink water.”
Zainab: “So, farmers should never forget to feed their animals?”
Teacher: “Absolutely! A good farmer always makes sure his animals are well-fed.”
6. Why do we rear farm animals?
Teacher: “Why do people keep animals on farms?”
Tolu: “So they can have pets, like a chicken as a best friend!”
Teacher (laughing): “Not really, Tolu. We keep farm animals for their eggs, meat, and sometimes for work.”
Musa: “Oh! So, when my dad buys chicken for Christmas, it’s from a farm?”
Teacher: “Yes, most of the meat we eat comes from farms.”
7. How can we build a simple animal house at home?
Teacher: “What do we need to build a home for a rabbit or chicken?”
Tunde: “Bricks and cement like our house!”
Teacher: “No, animal houses are made of wood, wire mesh, or even strong cartons.”
Fatima: “Oh, so it’s like a little house just for them?”
Teacher: “Exactly! It must be safe, clean, and comfortable for the animal.”
8. What is the difference between a hutch and a coop?
Teacher: “What’s the name of a house for chickens?”
Musa: “Coop!”
Teacher: “And for rabbits?”
Aisha: “Um… rabbit house?”
Teacher: “Not quite. A rabbit’s home is called a hutch.”
Chisom: “So, a coop is for chickens and a hutch is for rabbits?”
Teacher: “Yes! You got it!”
9. How do snails help the environment?
Teacher: “Why are snails important?”
Emeka: “Because they are slow and funny to watch!”
Teacher: “Well, that’s one thing, but snails also help the soil by breaking down dead leaves.”
Fatima: “Oh! So, they clean the environment?”
Teacher: “Yes! Snails are like little natural recyclers.”
10. Can chickens and rabbits stay in the same house?
Teacher: “Can we put chickens and rabbits in the same house?”
Daniel: “Yes, they will be best friends!”
Teacher: “Not really. Chickens love to scratch the ground and make a mess, but rabbits like to stay clean.”
Zainab: “So, they need different homes?”
Teacher: “Yes! Keeping them separate keeps them healthy and comfortable.”
Make sure you read your books.
See you during the next lesson